FollowSPIRe’s Week two seminar will feature Dr. Iseult Honahan presenting on her paper “Toleration and non-domination” from 12:00-13:00 Wednesday, January 30th in G316 Newman Building, UCD Belfield. All are welcome.
Abstract
The need for toleration is understood to derive from disagreements that arise from
religious and cultural diversity. While a number of different justifications can be
offered for toleration, the value of freedom is one of the most significant. This chapter
focuses on the specific conception of freedom as non-domination, rather than on other
conceptions such as non-interference or autonomy, and seeks to examine what light
can be thrown by this conception on the way in which contemporary states should
deal with issues arising from the fact of religious and cultural diversity. It considers
whether there is a place for toleration in the strict sense of ‘allowing something with
which one disagrees’, which has been criticised as paradoxical, out-moded and
dominating. It argues that freedom as non-domination grounds a conception of secure
toleration that avoids these criticisms, while requiring some elements that are
normally associated with respect and recognition.